Brandon, Josh and I got out to the middle grounds of Fishers Island Sound heading towards Napatree around 1pm. I hooked up immediately. We spent the next 4 hours driving around in circles targeting one passing group of fish after another. We never made it to Watch Hill, A Fishing frenzy of trying to set-up or cast to groups of fish popping up around you on one side or the other. No sooner would you spot a group and strip in enough to get your line out of the water to cast to them, they would be blasting by you. Like casting at cars on the freeway, if you didn't get it in the water in front of them. Then they were gone just as fast as they arrived. Mostly stripers and some hardtails, the later moving almost too fast to catch. We had plenty of fish to target and the gray and white Bay anchovy was the hot ticket for us. Water was clear and free of weeds, fair numbers of purple jellyfish. Brown clouds of baits were I was mostly on/near Wicopesset rock.
I thought it was going to be a breeze to get hooked up with such an awesome opportunity as this. With the current ripping along going 75-90 degrees angle from the wind/wave direction and the fish going west on various tacks, it wasn't so easy. It seemed some would even turn immediately upon seeing the boat and go around it. If you had already cast out and let your line sink into position, you were cooked. You couldn't pull out in time to cast in their new direction.
IMHO a floating line with a deep clouser style bay anchovy would have been the ticket for these conditions. That way you could pull your flyline/fly to quickly redirect it and get it front of them and down to their strike range quickly.
Wicopesset rock was were I found the thruway to be today. I drove over the same spot in circle or back and forth for hours, I finally dropped anchor and parked. Naturally they all passed by out of casting range then. DooooH!
Although we didn't catch many fish in part due to popping a leader
or too much slack in the line due to rapid strike before getting the bow out of the line from the current. Mostly it was not getting in front of the rapidly moving fish to make a presentation, sinking lines are difficult to pull out for a cast with one back stroke.
If I don't get out again the rest of the year our season certainly ended with a bang! Literally, I hit a rock at low tide that broke 1/3 of the fin off the lower unit, twisted it as well. My prop looks like a flower or a totally malformed helix. At least it was on the way in, and my lower unit is still intact. Anyone have a TIG Welder I can borrow to lay a quick bead?
It was simply an AWESOME experience, one we won't forget. Brandon has seen the migration experience and will be touched by it's majesty for life.
Josh was pretty excited to touch a live striper after seeing them pop up all around us as well. Wish I had been able to do a nice picture sequence like Quentin did, too busy with Captain/Dad/fisherman duties.

Tight Lines,
Greg.

Tod D

10-10-2001, 09:25 AM

Greg - Awesome report. Glad to hear that Brandon and you were out in the middle of all that! Nice to read while holed up in the office...

Tod

juro

10-10-2001, 09:31 AM

Sounds like the fish will be around this weekend! Hope you can make it, and thanks for the preview. Glad everyone's OK with the rock incident.

Where did you launch?

GregD

10-10-2001, 04:54 PM

Tod- Thanks, It was nice to finally get into some of those fall fish for sure.

Juro-
We launched out of GreenHaven, cost me $10 in and out it's usually $10 in $10 out. Next to no one there, adequate parking for a small group of trailers looks like it's basically filled during the season, very limited parking there. Probably more so for the folks who keep their boats there. It's also for sale. Phylis is 72 now and would like to retire. Recently reduced asking price $1,190,000. Sweet little spot, one of the last marinas before Little Narragansett.

Greg.

juro

10-10-2001, 04:57 PM

Cash in those savings bonds and let's take over for Phyllis! }>

artb

10-11-2001, 06:41 AM

Just a quick comment That is where my son keeps his boat "Makobound" It is one of the closesest marinas to Little Narragansett Bay.

juro

10-11-2001, 08:38 AM

Gregg - this might be the ticket? I've got your launch fee covered for a lift out to the point :)

GregD

10-11-2001, 10:09 AM

Gregg- If you do launch out of there and fish Napatree/Watch hill I highly recommend spending the $20 or so for a chart of the Area. It is some of the most treacherous water I've been in. I found chart #13214 of Fishers Sound to cover
all the area of interest to me. I apparently didn't refer to mine enough. Doooh!

Juro- I was thinking the same thing about the Marina, Phylis sounded motivated and she knows it's a buyer's market right now. Seems like she would be willing to strike a deal with the right party/conditions. I think a partnership would work out great for someone considering the need to take some time off and enjoy the location. The house there appears to be a duplex! Perfect for two parties. Looks like there's some more things one could do to improve the place too.
The way the tech employment situation is looking, it would be an interesting change I'm sure. Pretty slow in the winter I suppose.